Purple Here, Purple There…Purple, Purple Everywhere!

“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.” 

Alice Walker, The Color Purple

No nasty headlines here today…no GMO information, no Monsanto slamming (yeah, that’s a tough one for me) and of course, no posts about our pathetically inept guvernmint. The world is a mess, I think we’ve all gotten the memo, haven’t we? So…instead of focusing on the muckity-muck today, I thought I’d aim for something more off-beat & hopefully, positive and uplifting. Since I encouraged folks to share what they know, what they’re learning and different ways to become more self-reliant  in the Like A Phoenix: Power Beyond The Fall article, I figure I should take my own advice and share some about the projects we’ve started as we walk our path of  a less consumer-driven and more sustainable & satisfying lifestyle. 

This past weekend we put the scrap lumber & old doors to use and got the chicken coop built. We still need to add a proper roost and nesting box but the hard part is finished at least. Total cost came to around $30 for the wire and a couple of 2×4′s. We bought more wire than we needed but I’m sure we’ll find use for the leftovers in the garden…maybe even use it to make a spiral herb garden, who knows? 

Yes, there’s a bench inside…if I can’t sit down, how can they hop on my lap for a nap?!

We’re also considering adding a couple of small rain-catchers on either end of the slanted roof; we don’t get much rain here but since we are in such a horrible drought in this region, every saved drop of water counts. Total spent on the hens so far is still under $60…not too shabby and it’s possible we didn’t have to spend that much but hey, I like to spoil them with mealworms, what can I say? They are healthy & happy…not to mention, wonderful pets and tons of fun to have around! Oh, and just because the coop isn’t purple now, doesn’t mean it won’t be at some point in the future…just in case you were wondering what a plain ol’ wood coop had to do with a purple blog-post…

Along with getting the coop done, we also made time to head over and check out the new local nursery (they grow what they sell and don’t import; I LOVE that!)…it was a rainbow of happy colors, oh my! Decisions, decisions!  Some of these and a few of those and oooh….lookit those flowers! In the end, I went on a purple spree…and who knew that Petunias are my favorite flower? I sure the hell didn’t know that until now! 

Wait…did I just say Petunias are my new favorite? Oops…I forgot all about the Purple Sage that now sits happily in our little tea-garden area!

If heaven exists, it is here and now & THIS is what it smells like! You can’t touch this gorgeous plant without releasing the fragrance…sorry there is no “Scratch & Sniff” option on computers…you’ll just have to trust me on this. I’m looking forward to having fresh sage to cook with and to make my own sage bundles for incense…and oh yes, the buzzy-bees and flutterbyes adore this plant so it’s a win all the way around.

Because we plan on using several hanging containers both inside & out and since I am, in the words of my 6ft3in son, a “short-shit”, I decided that some sort of step-ladder or stool might be helpful…I got super-lucky and scored this little old gem at the ReStore for a whoppin’ $2.

It was an ugly, chipped brown and a bit wobbly but with a couple of screws and quick coat of paint, it’s cute AND functional! Total cost was under $5 and I am sure I’ll more than get my money’s worth of use out of it. My only problem now is wondering if I shouldn’t have painted it purple but hey, I guess it makes sense to add an accent color here and there, doesn’t it? 

In keeping with my love of all things purple, I decided to go all out and treat myself to some Manic Panic Purple Haze color for my hair. It’s not exactly non-consumerist of me but considering I cut my own hair, use maybe 1 eyeliner pencil every two years and spend about $20 a year on “gurl stuffs”, I’m not going to sweat a $10 splurge now and then. Besides, I’d hate to offend my pretty Mad Hatter’s tea-party- garden-in-the-making by being a bland presence in it…it’s a tough sacrifice for me to make (Mwahahahahhaha believe THAT and I’ll sell you the beach-front property next door for a helluva price!) but ya know, it’s a tough world out there and sometimes…well, a freak’s gotta do what a freak’s gotta do! 

“How Not To Dress In The Bible Belt” taken on our southern vacation a couple of years ago…

For wonderful gardening tips, take a minute (or several!) and check-out Auntie Dogma’s Garden Spot. You’ll find tons of excellent how-to information and links and in case you didn’t get enough purple from this post, you can follow up with today’s post there about…Lavender! 

I’m off now for a day or so…I got a paying gig building a new blog site for a prison advocacy organization and I want to put all of my energy and focus into doing a bang-up job for them. I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week and I’ll be back in a few days, if not sooner!

Genetic Privacy

“Stealing genetic and medical information without consent is unethical and dangerous, allowing every individual to be tracked and their relatives to be identified.”

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The Daily Scan – “Private companies may be able to purchase access to medical and genetic data, and possibly to personal data, housed in databases of the UK’s National Health Service, the Observer‘s Jamie Doward reports.

But, this “revelation, which contradicts government claims that such material would be completely anonymous, has raised fears that pharmaceutical firms and insurance companies will be able to determine the identities of people susceptible to particular diseases,” Doward says.

Doward notes that details obtained under the Freedom of Information Act indicate that the data provided will initially be anonymized, but that companies can appeal to receive data that includes ages and postcodes. Further, while people will be able to request that their genetic data not be shared, it might not always be possible.” Full Story

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The Guardian – “The government is keen for Britain to be at the forefront of the genetic revolution, a potential multi-billion-pound industry. Last year David Cameron launched a £100m scheme to map the genomes of up to 100,000 people, saying it would help to save lives by delivering new treatments. The move was seen as the first step in the construction of a national human genome database.

Under the scheme, firms would be able to access the information at a cost, but ministers insist that all data will be strictly anonymous. However, material released under the Freedom of Information Act reveals that firms can invoke an appeal process to demand “patient-identifiable data”, such as age and postcode.

“Without a semblance of transparency, a national genetic database, connected to personal medical records and made available to the private sector, has been set up. Privacy laws have been redefined and our own genomic information is being commercialised,” said Edward Hockings, a bioethicist from the pressure group Ethics and Genetics, who made the FOI requests.” Full Story

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Special Ops Command Presses For Increased Activity in Latin America

Am I the only one that finds this just a tad…erm…unnerving…?

Do we seriously not have enough going on around the world right now?

1 war, 2 wars…3 wars….MORE..!

Oh wait that’s right, we’re not at war in Latin America… we’re just down there meddling in their sovereign affairs and pissing away money like there’s no tomorrow…

From Department of Defense:

(Emphasis mine) WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2013 – Despite dwindling resources and a national defense focus on the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, the commander of Special Operations Command South is committed to not only maintaining, but increasing engagements in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Army Brig. Gen. Sean P. Mulholland, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command South, right, chats with Colombians whom his special operators are mentoring at the Tolemaida national training base in Colombia, Nov. 4, 2012. U.S. Army photo by Maj. Edward Lauer

Regular, sustained engagement is key to SOC South’s core mission: building partner capacity so regional nations can address their own challenges, Army Brig. Gen. Sean P. Mulholland told American Forces Press Service while here for an annual Special Operations and Low-intensity Conflict Symposium and Exhibition.

“On any given day, I have over 300 people deployed downrange to Central and South America, including members of every service’s special operations force and their civil affairs and military information support teams,” he said. “SOC South is engaged 365 [days a year], 24/7.”

A Green Beret who has served most of his career within Latin America, Mulholland said he’s convinced that persistent engagement establishes a level of credibility and trust simply not possible through traditional training and exercise programs. “Building partner capacity is planting seeds” that require nurturing over time, he said.

“It’s really not rocket science. It’s about personal relationships and what we do as we build partner capacity,” he said. “It is always letting your partners know that you are there, inside their country, helping them out — whether it is one guy or 50 guys and gals. It is all about contact.”

Since assuming command in October, Mulholland has made a concerted effort to promote these contacts, all governed by the host nation’s requests, in collaboration with the U.S. embassy country team and at the direction of U.S. Southern Command.

“We don’t do anything [the host nation] doesn’t ask for. And we don’t do anything the embassy hasn’t approved that we do,” he explained. “There is nothing spooky or under-the-table about what we do. It is all above-board, and it is all about building partner capacity.”

That capacity is vital to stemming the challenges in the region: drug traffickers and other transnational criminals and terrorist elements seeking footholds in ungoverned spaces, among them. These groups use these areas to flow drugs and other illicit shipments through Central America and Mexico and, ultimately, to the United States.

“The best way to go after a threat is to have that partner nation develop a security capacity and diminish that threat,” Mulholland said. “I can affect this bridge coming up north through Mexico to the United States. I can do that by helping build partner capacity with [host nation] units that are actually going to go out there and do something about it. And that is happening.”

Mulholland cited Colombia as the shining example of what capacity building can achieve.

Historically, the FARC — Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia — ran rampant in Colombia, terrorizing citizens with a spate of murders, kidnapping and other activities associated with narcotics trafficking. But 25 years ago, the Colombian police force was corrupt and the military forces were in disarray.

Today, thanks to strong Colombian leadership and persistent U.S. support and engagement, Colombia has capable, highly respected security forces. In addition to securing their own country, they are now training other regional militaries.

“They have become exporters of [force integration training],” Mulholland said, taking what they have learned and sharing it with their neighbors. “This is Latins training Latins, and that is a beautiful story,” Mulholland said. “It’s poetry.”

New Law Proposed in MO: Criminalize the Failure to Notify Schools of Your Private Business

“A Missouri lawmaker has proposed legislation that would require parents to notify their children’s school if they own a firearm.”

This irks the living crap out of me. Set aside the standard gun-issue arguments of whether or not we should own guns, how many or of what caliber and consider the concept underneath all of that…this law (or others like it) could be expanded…report to the school if you have medicines, objectionable books, cleaning products…think about it.

A 2nd point to consider…who is going to PAY for this?? Literally…where is the money going to come from to enforce this right now?

Who is going to go door-to-door and search the home of every child enrolled in MO schools? By what authority??? With – or without – search warrants and the all-too-common use of SWAT teams?

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Excerpt – “The bill, introduced by Missouri Democratic State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, would make it a crime to fail to report gun ownership to a school and to store a firearm in a place where a child could possibly access it. The legislation also criminalizes failure to prevent illegal possession of a firearm by a child under the age of 18.

“This act requires a parent or guardian to notify a school district, or the governing body of a private or charter school, that he or she owns a firearm within 30 days of enrolling the child in school or becoming the owner of a firearm,” the bill reads in part. “The written notification only needs to include the names of the parent and any child attending the school and the fact that the parent owns a firearm…

…Failure to report a firearm to a child’s school would result in a fine of up to $100 or $1,000 if the parent is also found guilty of “negligent storage of a firearm,” in addition to any other required punishments.”

Read Full Story Here on Daily Caller

Mandatory Seed Registry- H.R. 193

H.R. 193: To require persons who seek to retain seed harvested from the planting of patented seeds to register  with the Secretary of Agriculture and pay fees set by the Secretary for retaining such seed, and for other purposes.

Introduced: Jan 04, 2013 (113^th Congress, 2013–2015)

Sponsor: Rep. Marcy Kaptur [D-OH9]

Status: Referred to Committee

Track the bill here

Weigh in with your thoughts on the issue here

Lobelia Seeds (Photo credit: photofarmer)

Droning For Dollars

Since the ‘Powers That Be’ recently gave themselves the green-light on the use of drones in the US, one has to wonder who might be profiting from the newly enlarged ‘drone industry’…not to mention, who is using the drones – and for what purposes, exactly?

The Reaper has the ability to carry both precision-guided bombs and air-to-ground missiles. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As with most of our new technological capabilities, the potential for abuse seems rather great. I personally wouldn’t trust my government to watch my cat and I certainly want no part of them watching ME. Beyond that, I don’t want any corporation to be trusted as responsible enough to be operating drones over my head…and seriously, there is no reason on earth for the local university to be screwing around testing these things over our community.

 Is There Is there a drone in your neighbourhood? Rise of spy planes exposed after FAA is forced to reveal 63 launch sites across U.S.

Excerpts from Daily Mail UK – “There are at least 63 active drone sites around the U.S, federal authorities have been forced to reveal following a landmark Freedom of Information lawsuit.

The unmanned planes – some of which may have been designed to kill terror suspects – are being launched from locations in 20 states.

Most of the active drones are deployed from military installations, enforcement agencies and border patrol teams, according to the Federal Aviation Authority…”

“...But, astonishingly, 19 universities and colleges are also registered as owners of what are officially known as unmanned aerial vehicles.

It is thought that many of institutions, which include Cornell, the University of Colorado, Georgia Tech, and Eastern Gateway Community College, are developing drone technology…

…The FAA has confirmed that there were about 300 active COAs and that the agency has issued about 700-750 authorizations since the program began in 2006.

But this information does not reveal how many are owned, for example, by Miami Dade Police Department…”

So, who owns drones and how close might they be to YOU?

Read the full article on Daily Mail UK to find out.

I was disturbed to see names of institutions in close proximity to my own home on the list…*shudders*

Just a few launch spots out here in my neck of the woods…

 New Mexico State University Physical Sciences Laboratory (NMSU-PSL) 
New Mexico Tech

  **The maps in the original Daily Mail UK are very interesting and it’s well worth the time to click over and take a look at them in full size.**

Read more: Daily Mail UK

Related Links & News:

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From Republic Report

Rep. McKeon Praises Drone Manufacturers At Conference After They Lavish His Wife With Donations

“McKeon is Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and received $339,000 from the defense industry himself in 2010, so it’s reasonable to suspect that arms manufacturers and others are donating to his wife’s state race in order to please him.

Now, it appears that these donations are paying off. This morning at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., Rep. McKeon delivered a “Special Address” for the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International(AUVSI), a drone industry lobbying organization. Republic Report gained access to the event — which hosted hundreds of attendees from the unmanned aerial systems industry, including military drone  manufacturers like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.

Keeping The Truth Alive

I love what this man says about the importance of citizens taking it upon ourselves to be the voices of truth. If we bloggers are silent – or silenced – then who will be left to speak the truth? I shudder to think of the day when the truth is left in the hands of mainstream media outlets…

Exclusive: Inside Darpa’s Secret Afghan Spy Machine

Just one example of what our money is being spent on in the name of  ‘defense’…

Image via Wikipedia

The Pentagon’s top researchers have rushed a classified and controversial intelligence program into Afghanistan. Known as “Nexus 7,” and previously undisclosed as a war-zone surveillance effort, it ties together everything from spy radars to fruit prices in order to glean clues about Afghan instability.

The program has been pushed hard by the leadership of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. They see Nexus 7 as both a breakthrough data-analysis tool and an opportunity to move beyond its traditional, long-range research role and into a more active wartime mission.

But those efforts are drawing fire from some frontline intel operators who see Nexus 7 as little more than a glorified grad-school project, wasting tens of millions on duplicative technology that has nothing to do with stopping the Taliban.

“There are no models and there are no algorithms,” says one person familiar with the program, echoing numerous others who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the program publicly. Just “200 lines of buggy Python code to do what imagery analysts do every day.”

During a decade of war, American forces have gathered exabytes of information on its enemies in Afghanistan. Nexus 7 aims to tap that data to find out more about the U.S.’ alleged friends: the people of Afghanistan, and how they interact with their government and with one another.

Not that you’d be able to figure that out, examining the one public reference to Nexus 7. Tucked away in the Pentagon’s gargantuan budget, it makes the program sound like an obscure computer-science project, using “cluster analysis” to find “social networks.” There’s no reference to its operational utility.

On the military’s classified network, however, Darpa technologists pitch Nexus 7 as far-reaching and revolutionary, culling “hundreds of existing data sources from multiple Agencies and Services” to produce “population-centric, cultural intelligence.”

They boast of Nexus 7’s ties to special operations and to America’s most secretive surveillance groups, and its sophisticated tools to “perform automated cross-correlation and analysis of massive, sparse datasets — recomputing stability indicators within minutes of new data updates.”

via Exclusive: Inside Darpa’s Secret Afghan Spy Machine | Danger Room | Wired.com.

Related articles

• DARPA Goes To War (andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com)
• DARPA Developing Video Parser (yro.slashdot.org)
• DARPA offers $42 million for ‘revolutionary’ research on social media analysis (rossdawsonblog.com)